Team Alpha 375

Nameless Branding
by: Stephanie Melish

Starbucks is dropping the Starbucks. As the only Double-Tall, Non-Fat, No-Whip Sales Barista, I couldn’t pass the opportunity to write about this iconic shift in this company’s branding efforts.

Starbucks released that they have performed a face-lift on their logo and dropped the printed "Starbucks Coffee." GASP! I couldn’t believe it. I thought, "Please don’t change the green color too!" I was relieved to find out that they won’t revert back to the 70’s brown. I mean, green is the new black and it’s staying.

The news of the new Starbucks logo is huge. This is recognition that you have hit the brand jackpot. This is the status. This is where your logo becomes bigger than your name. Your brand has arrived when you can go nameless.

So, are you nameless? Probably not. I’m not - or at least not yet. But isn’t that the ultimate goal of branding? To have an image so prominent that you need no name, need no introduction - only a logo. A golden arch, an apple, or a swoosh.

What are you currently doing to promote your brand? What are you doing to elevate to a level where everyone knows who you are without a name?

Maybe you should try doing what Starbucks has mastered. There are two major factors that have catapulted Starbucks to the nameless level:

1. Be Most Visible. Branding is equivalent to visibility. Starbucks is so visible that they are the butt of many jokes. (Have you seen Shrek 2?) The more someone sees your brand, the more known it become. Make yourself or your company (preferably both) seen more than any of your competitors. Brand everything! Put out a consistent image on your emails, website, pens, paper, thank you notes, etc. Also, put your brand out in the community. Sponsor local charity events or networking sessions. Your brand is born when you are seen and scene.

2. Be Consistent. In my opinion, this is the most important aspect of branding. Offering a consistent experience and message to your customers, fans, and even haters builds the blocks of branding. Understanding that no matter how your customers find you, WHAT they find will be the same. Storefront = website = blog = Twitter = Facebook = advertisements = commercials = SAME brand!

Through visibility and consistency, a nameless brand can be built. I’m keeping my name and my title for now, but I’m working toward the day when I’ll have a nameless brand. When will you start building yours?